Psychological Reasons for Voting and Nonvoting

VOTER TURNOUT IN any given election is minimal when juxtaposed with eligible voters. The proportion of those who vote compared to those who are eligible to vote in the United States is also smaller compared to many other countries, some of which (such as Australia) have compulsory voting laws. Thus, voting behavior is an important topic for political researchers, who examine demographic, sociological, and psychological factors that may influence the choice to vote.

Some researchers suggest morality comes into play when individuals compare themselves to those who live under dictatorships or other non-democratic rulers who prevent individuals from exercising electoral rights. Citizens of democratic countries may define morality as doing what a “good citizen” does. If one perceives him or herself to be a good citizen, and the perception of a good citizen includes voting, then according to cognitive dissonance theory, there will be an uncomfortable tension experienced if he or she does not vote. The congruity between self-perception and action is maintained by acting as an ideal citizen and voting. Similarly, some citizens vote for symbolic reasons. The very act of voting reaffirms the democratic right to do so.

Although some longitudinal researchers find that those who participate in one election may not participate in the next, other researchers report longstanding psychological drives to vote. One such drive is a deep-seated feeling of civic obligation. This differs from other reasons because it implies more of a duty and less of a choice. Another drive to vote is interest in political affairs. The more interest in the governmental process a person has, the greater the impetus to vote.

The perceived need for control in one's life can also be a predictor of if one casts a vote. Under some conditions, researchers report that those who experience low levels of personal control demonstrated increased participation in voting. Other researchers have examined aggregate increases in voting behavior over time. Interestingly, the most influential factor has been an increase in civic consciousness. Voting behavior positively correlates with awareness of governmental processes and those involved in governing.

Perhaps the most frequent psychological factor reviewed that seems to encourage or discourage voting is efficacy. Specifically, efficacy breaks down into two subtypes: internal and external. Internal political efficacy is the belief that a person has the necessary resources or skills to influence the government. External political efficacy focuses on personal beliefs, whether or not they believe the government is responsive to their influence. Thus, the greater the perceptions of each internal and external political efficacy, the greater the likelihood exists that the individual will vote. Some researchrs show that for those with high efficaciousness, a feeling of anxiety about a candidate increases the probability they will vote.

Reinforcement theory offers a different perspective on why people choose to vote or abstain, based on their participation in the last election and the election results. This application of reinforcement theory relates to citizens' internal political efficacy, with election outcomes either augmenting efficacy beliefs or diminishing them. For example, if an individual voted and the desired candidate won, then that individual is likely to vote again. If the individual did not vote, but his or her preferred candidate won anyway, then the [Page 686]individual's nonvoting was reinforced, and not voting in the next election is predicted. However, if an individual did not vote and his or her favored candidate lost, then this encourages him or her to alter behavior and vote in an upcoming election.

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